Letter: Nurture positives to effect change

To the editor

Published 7:31 pm, Monday, January 14, 2013

With the recent incidents of gun violence and murder in Albany and the tragedy of Newtown, Conn., the question of how to deal with violence, and the culture of violence, has once again taken center stage.

We must understand that a culture of violence and guns, particularly among youth, is a response to a failure of society. It is a primal scream, a retaking by individuals of the manhood, dignity and self-worth that many feel society has stolen from them.

By failing to hire, invest and educate, society states to youth, the poor and to people in general that basically they have no worth. Their response has been the culture of guns, violence and gangs. This is, to quote the Rev. Jesse Jackson's PUSH campaign, a shout from those who feel disenfranchised that "I am somebody."

How do we address the problem?

By creating a new and more positive culture. By bringing jobs and the dignity of work back into the community. By investing in things like community centers where positive reinforcement and the respect for life can be cultivated. And by improving our schools so that not only do they provide the golden opportunity of a education, they also ensure that everyone takes advantage of that opportunity.

Jobs and job training, community investment and community centers, and a better educational focus — that is how we will end the culture of guns, gangs and violence, not only in the Capital Region but in America as well.